Pausing Sales During Holidays Due to Slow Shipping

[destrucity_shop]

I've decided to put my store on vacation mode for the month of December due to delays in shipping. This morning a customer contacted my about an item past due delivery, was shipped First Class a seven days ago-- tracking shows no activity. A forum search of recent discussions revealed many sellers complaining of severe delays in shipping. This makes sense with new disruptive Post Master rules, more people shopping online from pandemic lockdowns, postal workers calling in sick with covid, and the surge of holiday orders, the postal system is now overwhelmed. I've refunded the buyer, and will resume selling in January.

[patriot_bearing_supply]

What do you want them to do? Donald Trump did this. He tried to destroy the USPS just to win an election. Write him a nasty letter. There are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of late packages. There is NOTHING they can do about it.

[patriot_bearing_supply]

Sorry, I wasn't specific enough. I meant about your concern about your falling score with shipping / late delivery. That should not be an issue as long as eBay is getting your tracking electronically as soon as you ship. I understand that you are getting emails from customers. We all are. I'm amazed I haven't gotten more.

[cuda17hutch]

It's happening to priority as well.  I shipped 5 items out on the 1st.  I live in PA.  4 of them were first class and one was priority.  The problem was every package went to KC instead of the sorting facility in PA.  The priority package was the last to be finally delivered.  It went from Pennsylvania to KC and then back east again to Mass.  It took 2 weeks.

I currently am waiting on a package from Virginia.   He sent it on the 4th.  It sat in VA for 10 days before it was shipped to another facility in NC.  That's where it's sitting now for the last 5 days.

I'm assuming he send it priority, as least that's what the auction said.  I'll find out if he did when I finally receive it

[youngandlucky]

did the priority mail package got delivered eventually? I'm in the same situation

[carolynnq]

My longest outstanding package is out for delivery today. First class. Mailed December 1. After the Dec 6 scan, there was nothing until Dec 19. 

I'm down to 2 still in limbo. Two media mail, mailed Dec 5, last scanned at Bell Gardens Dec 10 - nothing since. Others sent media mail Dec 4 & 5 were also scanned at Bell Gardens Dec 10 and were delivered around Dec 17.

[fuzzface50]

I have for years taking off from thanksgiving until Jan.  I use that time to take pictures and get things ready and then when Jan. comes I can list like a madman  again after my nice break .  Jan. is usually one of my better months but I tend to have more listings up that month too

[wrong66]

There are small post offices in New Jersey that have not received any mail in 7 days.

[wrong66]

Well, I guess we can take some comfort in the fact that the government is not mailing out the vaccines via USPS.

[peach1800]

I have about 10 or so packages stuck at various stages at the post office. All of these are via first class mail.

The oldest one being dropped off on Dec 8, 2020. Most of the packages left my home post office and went to the next location but is no where near their final destination. I opened a "Missing package" case with usps. com. Most of them are saying there is nothing they can do until it moves from the secondary center.

The worst locations seem to be: BALTIMORE, SOUTHERN MARYLAND DISTRIBUTION CENTER, CAPITAL HEIGHTS. Most of my packages are stuck in one of these 3 locations.

Don't know what to do...only 1 of 10 packages is insured...

[marmy29]

I did an investigation into a package that has not moved since Dec 7th, I was send a email back that the USPS has hundreds of trucks full of packages and mail that have not been processed my 2 packages being in the southern md distribution center.  All are first class I have mailed I am guessing I will pay for that mess.  I have paused my store for 2 weeks now and added another week to the pause today.

[bluebirds-2013]

Is going to be bad, I had to refund a costumer for not receiving their package in 3 weeks, still in transit. Even if they get it, I lost my item, and the sale. I will also have to stop all sales in December I am not going there again.

[autopartspuller]

This post is almost a year old. 

Random Delays have never really stopped this year.  It just got better than the Christmas season. 

I have personally started a little extra due diligence by checking my shipped listings once a week.  I look for items that are taking too long to ship.  I try to open a mail search case BEFORE the customer says something.  It's helped.

I am hoping Ebay implements the extensions for shipping this year.  USPS has already stated that they will be slower than normal during the Christmas season.    I hope Ebay takes this into consideration

[Anonymous]

Do you realize that you are replying in a thread from Christmas 2020 ?

Half of these members aren't here anymore, you're talking to ghosts !

[kh-vince]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.